I took a look at their website, and noted the MSRP of $450 USD ... that's more than I'm willing to pay. However, for a person with $45,000+ worth of gear, then I suppose the cost/benefit equation becomes different.

I appreciate the irony that an embarrassingly trivial announcement of a new backpack color quickly digressed into a discussion of using tupperware lids for lens caps, and it actually became a far more useful thread. Now, if we can get Canon to put blue rings on the outside of the big whites we could have a yellow-and-blue makes green situation and know our lenscaps are on.

I appreciate the irony that an embarrassingly trivial announcement of a new backpack color quickly digressed into a discussion of using tupperware lids for lens caps, and it actually became a far more useful thread. Now, if we can get Canon to put blue rings on the outside of the big whites we could have a yellow-and-blue makes green situation and know our lenscaps are on.

Notice that you can not see the tripod foot. I put the foot up in the bag (side that opens), so I can pack around it - batteries, card wallet, etc. How do other people pack their bag?

Yeh, I don't really get the layout choosen in the photo. I assume the bottom of the bag is to the left?If so that's a big lens weight bouncing on the body even with the padding between. If the bottom is to the right then it must be a bit top heavy?

I have never removed my camera body from the lens when I put it into a backpack. It is just 15 seconds longer to get it setup and ready to shoot.

Is there a reason why that shouldn't be done?

With longer lenses, forces due to jostling are much greater at the mount. There have been a number of reported cases of supertele lenses snapping at or near the mount when a DSLR body is attached (especially during air travel.) It is safest to keep longer lenses in their shortest possible configuration for any kind of travel to minimize forces that may damage them. A lens on it's own is rather sturdy. The weakest point of a lens+body combo is at or near the mount (even if it is all metal).

I took a look at their website, and noted the MSRP of $450 USD ... that's more than I'm willing to pay. However, for a person with $45,000+ worth of gear, then I suppose the cost/benefit equation becomes different.

It's not just about protection of gear which makes these lenses so good...it's the fact that they are less obvious as being a camera bag, fits in the over heads on a plane but most importantly....they weigh about half of the competition's bags of the same size. If a photographer uses mkII white teles and one of these bags, he is literally halving his luggage weight and that makes it carry on hand luggage weight. Which then negates the need for peli cases and the like.

I appreciate the irony that an embarrassingly trivial announcement of a new backpack color quickly digressed into a discussion of using tupperware lids for lens caps, and it actually became a far more useful thread. Now, if we can get Canon to put blue rings on the outside of the big whites we could have a yellow-and-blue makes green situation and know our lenscaps are on.

you just made my day....

What about pink. Then my wife will gladly come with me and perhaps even help carry the gear

I took a look at their website, and noted the MSRP of $450 USD ... that's more than I'm willing to pay. However, for a person with $45,000+ worth of gear, then I suppose the cost/benefit equation becomes different.

It's not just about protection of gear which makes these lenses so good...it's the fact that they are less obvious as being a camera bag, fits in the over heads on a plane but most importantly....they weigh about half of the competition's bags of the same size. If a photographer uses mkII white teles and one of these bags, he is literally halving his luggage weight and that makes it carry on hand luggage weight. Which then negates the need for peli cases and the like.

I carry on my pelican camera/laptop case... I do get a workout carrying it around the world, but I haven't had any problems with it (except for some smaller airplanes).